Maps, Circulation & Extra Copies
Maine Gallery + Studio Guide is organized by color-coded regions and towns, traveling up the
coastline. Town maps appearing in each region are indicated on the state map below to show
relational distances and locations. Advertising museums, galleries and artist’s studios are listed
in each region’s town directory with the page number of their ad and/or listing and are also
located on their respective town maps. An Advertisers’ Index appears on pages 138 and 139.

Maine Gallery + Studio Guide is distributed free throughout Maine in museums, galleries,
studios and selected visitor centers.
House copies are also on view at fine
Maine hotels, inns, B&Bs and many
chambers of commerce. To order
extra house copies, please call
1-888-482-4405. For
individual copies by
mail, order online at
mainegalleryguide.com.
Presque Isle

Eric Hudson (1862-1932)
Hudson first visited Monhegan in 1897 aboard his sloop the Minstrel with artists Frank
Myrick and Marshall Johnson on their way to Mount Desert Island. He returned the
following year and built a house next to George Everett’s, overlooking the harbor. Hudson
spent most of his remaining summers on the island with his wife, Gertrude Dunton, and their
two daughters, Julie and Jacqueline. Hudson was friends with many important artists of his
era, including Robert Henri, George Bellows and Randall Davey. When they visited
Monhegan they would gather at his island home. Hudson’s late nineteenth-century
paintings of the island are muted and subdued when compared with his later work, which
reflects his exposure to modernism. His palette became more rich and vibrant, and his
brushstrokes more bold.
Hudson studied at the Boston Museum School and the Académie Julian in Paris, and with
Marshall Johnson. He exhibited widely, at the Boston Art Club, the Pennsylvania Academy of
the Fine Arts, the Corcoran Gallery and at the Palais du Luxembourg in Paris. Hudson moved
from Boston to New York, where he lived first at Washington Square, then in the famous 10th
Street Studio Building, and finally at Gramercy Park. He was an associate member of the
National Academy of Design.
Special thanks to the Portland Museum of Art and the Monhegan Museum.

17

Maine Gallery + Studio Guide
This is the 10th edition of Maine Gallery + Studio Guide. Looking back, it seems as if the
universe conspired to make much of it happen, even though I am surely blocking out the
more painful parts.
For 15 years prior to its launch, I published weekly visitor guides to resort destinations in
Maine including Bar Harbor, Boothbay Harbor, Belgrade Lakes, Sugarloaf/USA and Sunday
River. I felt I had the best job in Maine. In Boothbay Harbor I had many advertising art
studios and galleries and became friends with a number of the artists.
This publication was first imagined over coffee at the East Boothbay home and gallery of
Joan and Carlton Plummer (see pages 44 and 59). Their enthusiasm provided my initial
impetus to start up a Maine art guide. A guide for galleries? A guide for artists? I struggled
for a name until Corinne McIntyre of neighboring Ocean Point Studio suggested calling it
Maine Gallery and Studio Guide. Perfect.
Peggy Greenhut Golden, of Portland’s Greenhut Galleries, signed up for the first full-page
ad and we were off and running. Maine art writer Carl Little was a most helpful advisor, and
he wrote all the intros in earlier editions. He confided that many had attempted to create a
statewide art guide, but this was the first to stick.
Six years ago, I started “Café des Artistes” as a blog on our web site to list and promote the
many wonderful art openings, shows and exhibitions presented by our advertising galleries,
studios and museums. The following year I started a short radio program of the same name,
co-hosted by MPBN veteran Victor Hathaway, to publicize Maine art news to a much larger
audience.
Today, Café des Artistes is a blog, a weekly email newsletter (May-October) and a popular
statewide radio show that airs on WERU 89.9 FM in Blue Hill and WMPG 90.9FM in
Portland. Visitors to our web site www.mainegalleryguide.com can sign up to receive the
free Café newsletter and can listen to our weekly podcast anytime. I hope you will visit our
web site often to stay up-to-date on Maine art events as well as to be linked to the artists,
galleries and museums listed.
Art adds beauty and value to our lives and homes. An op-ed piece I wrote entitled “Giving
the Gift of Art” was published in the Bangor Daily News December 12, 2009. It is reprinted
here on page 140.
Thank you for 10 wonderful years. Suzanne and I feel a huge debt of gratitude to the many
galleries, studio artists and museums who have supported us each and every year, and to
the loyal readers and art lovers who use us as their personal guide to an extraordinary world
of Maine art. Enjoy our latest tour!

Visit us at these Maine Crafts Guild shows this year:
Round Top Center, Damariscotta: July 17–18
Mount Desert High School: July 30 – August 1
Atlantic Oakes, Bar Harbor: August 27–29
Camp Ketcha, Scarborough: September 11–12
Portland East End Community Center: October 9–10
Augusta Maine State Museum: November 6–7
And visit our website at www.mainecraftsguild.com for news,
new shows and member information.
Fiona Clark &
Vincent DeLisle
Fireﬂy Studios
Collaborative Works
Jefferson, ME 04348
fireflystudiosme.com

Above are scenes from the Momentum Exhibition presented last summer by the George
Marshall Store Gallery in York and curated by gallery director Mary P. Harding. 2010 is the
George Marshall Store Galleryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 15th Anniversary and is marked with a diverse calendar
of shows including Momentum VIII, which exhibits the winner and three finalists from the
New Hampshire Charitable Foundations Artist Advance Grant. The winner of the prestigious
grant receives up to $30,000.

York Maine
LESLIE DOHERTY STUDIO GALLERY 501
US Rte. 1, north side of the York corner lights.
Studio 207-363-0033, home 363-4392; open
year-round in the afternoon, 1-5. Please visit
my work at www.lesliedoherty.com
“Hard At Work”

YORK ART ASSOCIATION at 394 York
Street (Rte. 1-A) in York Harbor is now open
year-round Thursday thru Sunday 11 AM to 4
PM. We feature the full field of arts, paintings,
sculptures, fine crafts, music and literary arts
including shows, classes and performances.
207-363-4049
www.yorkartassociation.com

THE CLOWN Varied selection of
contemporary art by recognized New
England artists and English Victorian
watercolors, plus fine wines, European
antiques and artisan gifts. 659 U.S. Rte. 1
207-351-3063
www.the-clown.com

VILLAGE GALLERY in the heart of York
Village carries the work of more than 40
artists. Open Daily (Jan-Apr, Tues-Sat) 10-4.
244 York St., York, ME 03909
207-351-3110 Gloria Gustafson, owner
www.yorkvillagegallery.com
“Harbor Overlook”

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LESLIE DOHERTY

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south coast

Florals, Marine Art,
Landscapes & Seascapes

by Gloria Gustafson

SAY
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GLORIA GUSTAFSON/
VILLAGE GALLERY

YORK ART
GEORGE MARSHALL
STORE GALLERY
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YORK
George marshall store gallery
140 Lindsay Rd., York 03909 • 351-1083
www.georgemarshallstoregallery.com
Gloria Gustafson Always available at
Village Gallery, 244 York St., York 03909
363-4687 or 351-3110
www.gustafsonoriginals.com

Camden,DENNIS
Maine&04843
Located
on a beautiful Maine seacove,
MARTY GLEASON,
OWNER-DIRECTORS
CHRISTINE
P. HAMILTON,
MANAGER
• ANDREW
GLEASON,
GALLERY
ASSISTANT
the Gallery
is about
7 miles
south of
Brunswick
on Rt 123 in Harpswell.
(207)
236 6005
We are open all year by appointment, or check our Web site for seasonal hours.
www.smallwondergallery.com
31 TOWNSEND AVENUE
545 CONGRESS STREET
Call 207-833-6081 www.widgeoncove.com

edicated
artists
Open May Very
15 ~ Oct.
15, Art
10DAM
~ to5fostering
PM�and nurturing emerging and established Maine
WWW.GREENHUTGALLERIE
and to sounding the depths of fresh talent in the New England Maritime
Fine
St.

Route 1

Main St

Route 90 West St.

Ave
Russell
CMCA

Rockport Harbor

JOY

tradition. Showcasing fine handcrafted furniture, unique sculpture and art
jewelry. Putting art within the reach of everyone. Now located and
accessible from the public landing and 8 Bay View Sreet.

The State Theatre Building in the heart of the arts district is a Portland landmark with a
history of creative art studios and small galleries. Today it is a fine arts center showcasing
an exciting group of artist-run galleries: Sylvia Kania Gallery, Holly Ready Gallery, Fore River
Gallery, Two Paths Gallery, 9 Hands Gallery, and Daunis Fine Jewelry.

Painter Arnold Desmarais engages the audience at his painting demonstration at
Bayview Gallery, Brunswick, during the Brunswick Arts Festival last August. Bayview will
host another demonstration during this year’s upcoming festival on August 21. When in
Camden, visit the original Bayview Gallery on Bayview Street.
Landing Gallery in Rockland opened its 2009 season with “100 Works”, a group exhibit of
25 gallery artists. Pictured at the reception are Roger Dell, Director of Education at the Farn-

Joan and Carlton Plummer of Plummer Gallery host visitors from the East Boothbay Art
Walk. Their home gallery is a showroom for their paintings and the sculptural stone works of
their son Gerry Plummer. The lovely seaside home is also a popular stop on the Boothbay
Botanical Gardens Tour. Carlton will have a 50-year retrospective show at the Harlow Gallery
in Hallowell, June 4 to June 27, with an Opening Reception June 4 from 5 to 8 pm. The
public is invited.
44

Glass masters Terrill and Charlie Jenkins create hand-blown glass fantasies in their Tandem
Glass Studio gallery in Dresden. Just a short jaunt from Bath or Wiscasset, the studio
gallery overlooks the picturesque Eastern River and makes a memorable visit. An advance
call to 737-2781 is appreciated. Photo by George Waldman.

Small Wonder Gallery in Camden celebrated its 25th Anniversary last summer. Pictured
here are Stacy Stevenson, Kathy Valente, Michael Valente and Elizabeth Valente standing in
front of original watercolors by Jan Kilburn and Fritz Kubitz. The appropriately named Small
Wonder Gallery sits next to the Camden Chamber Info Center on the Harbor parking lot.
45

Located on a beautiful Maine seacove,
the Gallery is about 7 miles south of Brunswick on Rt 123 in Harpswell.
We are open all year by appointment, or check our Web site for seasonal hours.
Call 207-833-6081 www.widgeoncove.com

Tandem Glass Studio–Terrill and
Charlie Jenkins 6 Eagles Lodge Lane,
Dresden 04342 • 737-2781
terrill@tandemglass.com
www.tandemglass.com
www.tandemglass.blogspot.com Unique HandBlown Glass created on-site by artisans Terrill &
Charlie Jenkins. Each artisan has been working
in this exciting medium for twenty years developing their individual visions based on modern and
ancient techniques. Enjoy this diverse body of work
in the gallery overlooking the Eastern River. Open
by chance or appointment. (see ad page 16)

Wiscasset Bay GallerY 67 Main St.,
Wiscasset 04578 • 882-7682
info@wiscassetbaygallery.com
www.wiscassetbaygallery.com Open daily
10:30-5:00 • Our focus is on both American and
European fine art from the 19th through the 21st
century. We specialize in antique and contemporary paintings highlighting marine and landscape
paintings, including Monhegan artists. We invite
you to visit us for an enjoyable art experience. On
Main Street in historic Wiscasset Village. (See ad
page 3)

mid coast

AV
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96

27

SOUTHPORT

BOOTHBAY
HARBOR
AVE

JOY TO
THE WIND

ATLANTIC

ATLANTIC

BA
CK

BOOTHBAY

THE
CREATIVE
TURTLE

FIVE
ISLANDS

JUNE
ELDERKIN

27

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HEAD OF
CLUBHOUSE
THE HARBOR GALLERY

BRAF

LAURIE
KNOWLTON
BOOTHBAY
HARBOR

27

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GALLERY
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FRAMERS

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June Elderkin “Field of Color”, acrylic on canvas, 24" x 30", at June Elderkin Studio,
Southport

Ocean Point Studio 130 Van Horn Rd.,
E. Boothbay 04544 • 633-3990
opstudio@roadrunner.com
OL
www.corinnemcintyre.blogspot.com
D
www.oceanpointstudio.com Open Daily. For
art lovers, a trip to the Maine coast would be
incomplete without a visit to Ocean Point Studio.
Enjoy oil and watercolor paintings of the coastal
landscape by Corinne McIntyre and fine-art
pottery by Fred McIntyre. Open all year. NEWCASTLE

C
PS
EE
SH

Your source for
exquisite home
and institutional
lighting, window
art, nautical
glass art, signs,
our famous mirrors
and sconces,
and much more.

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RIV

C. FORD STUDIO

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www.boothbayartists.org

RIVER ROAD

1 Townsend Ave.
Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538
207-633-2703

Plummer Gallery King Phillips Trail,
E. Boothbay 04544 • 633-5212
candjplummer@adelphia.net
www.plummergallery.com In its 47th year. Open
daily 9:30-5:00, June-September, features
watercolors, oils, prints & reproductions by national
and international award-winning artists Joan and
Carlton Plummer. Represented in galleries from
Maine to Florida, including public and private
collections here and abroad.

Visit Camden for its art galleries,
restaurants and a fabled fleet of
sailing schooners.

For events in this area check the
calendar on page 134 of this guide.
Also online at
www.mainegalleryguide.com.
“Creativity is allowing yourself to make
mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.”
—SCOTT ADAMS
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edicated to fostering and nurturing emerging and established Maine artists
and to sounding the depths of fresh talent in the New England Maritime
tradition. Showcasing fine handcrafted furniture, unique sculpture and art
jewelry. Putting art within the reach of everyone. Now located and
accessible from the public landing and 8 Bay View Sreet.

MAINE GATHERING

For more than 30 years, THE MAINE GATHERING remains the premier
showcase for Maine's richly diverse crafts, from traditional Maine Indian
baskets to contemporary jewelry, ceramics and Ikebana vases, gathered with
an artisan’s eye for unique detail and one-of-a-kind workmanship.
AL SO FEATURING.

HAND-DIPPED C ANDIES
Simply the finest chocolates
... from chocolatiers with over
one hundred years of combined
chocolate-making excellence!

“A lot of what I do is about being in the moment and I think that’s hard for people to get. I like
it when things suddenly affect the painting. I mix up this red and it affects the whole painting or
this little bit of white falls down there, and something changes the whole nature of the thing. The
residue on what happens, that’s what’s in the paintings.”
—Julian Schnabel

BelfastART consists of about a dozen notable art galleries in downtown Belfast
featuring local and nationally recognized artists. BelfastART galleries host
monthly art receptions, primarily during First Friday Openings of Belfast and
every Friday evening in July and August. Meet many of the artists on premises!
Among the members are:

Tobey White, Sheep Jones and Julie Cyr. See works in progress.
Workshops and classes available. 149 High Street (4 doors from the
light). (207) 338-8990 www.highstreetgallery.com

OFF THE BEATEN PATH GALLERY Co-op group of artists embrace
multitude of styles. Modern, lively, colorful and unusual pieces entertain the eye. Features paintings, photography, metal art, jewelry, home
décor, mosaic work and more. New artists welcome! Open year-round.
17 Main Street. (207) 930-5345
ROOTS & TENDRILS features rotating exhibits of contemporary
works by up-and-coming artists as well as modern handmade goods by
Maine designers and crafters. The gallery also has a year-round calendar
of live music featuring bands and musicians from the Northeast and
beyond. 2 Cross Street (207) 338-5225 www.rootsandtendrils.com
BETTS GALLERY AT THE BELFAST FRAMER Oils, watercolors and
sculptures exhibited. Custom framing, matting, mounting and
restoration services – since 1990. 96 Main Street (207) 338-6465

Friday Night Gallery Walks every Friday evening in July and August,
Gallery Walks first Friday in June, September, October & December.

You meet the nicest people at an art show. Here friends BG Thorpe and Hellmut Juretschke
great each other at the opening of “Along the Maine Coast” last summer in the Blue Hill
Bay Gallery.

The Maine Craft Guild’s Mount Desert Island Show is often referred to as the most outstanding, most successful, and longest-running craft show in Maine. At the upcoming 35th
Annual Show, July 30th to August 1st, 80 of Maine’s finest craftspeople will fill the newly
renovated gymnasium at the Mount Desert Island High School with their work, transforming
the space into a gallery-like setting of carefully designed individual displays. Come and meet
extraordinary artisans and purchase work of heirloom quality handmade here in Maine.
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Last summer’s opening of Redfield Gallery’s “Maine Coastal Views 1880-1980” showed
Maine masters and good friends alike. Pictured here are Sunne Savage of Sunne Savage
Gallery, Winchester, Mass., Robert Neuman, renowned contemporary artist and Rita
Redfield, owner of Redfield Gallery in Northeast Harbor. The 2010 show will open on August
5, and the public is invited.

Sam Shaw and gallery director Hilary Orr welcome visitors and art lovers to Shaw Jewelry
in Northeast Harbor. Shaw Jewelry presents changing shows with openings, live jazz, good
food and interesting guests every other Thursday during the summer. This summer Sam is
launching the new Northeast Video Shorts Festival, Thursday, July 29, 4–11 pm in
Northeast Harbor.
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Jill hoy gallery Located in a white barn,
80 177
Thurlow15Hill, at the east end of Main St. and
the end of Rte. 15, Stonington 04681 • 367-2368
jahoy1@gmail.com www.jillhoy.com Now in its
22nd year. Plein-air landscapes in oil, watercolor,
gouache, giclée and posters.EAST
Open late June-mid
Sept.,
by appointment
Mon-Sat
BLUE
HILL 10-5, Sun 1-4.
BLUEorHILL

“The artist’s world is limitless. It can be found anywhere, far from where he lives
or a few feet away. It is always on his doorstep.”
—PAUL STRAND
“I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way
–things I had no words for.”
—GEORGIA O’Keeffe
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Jud Hartmann Gallery

“Sassacus” (Pequot chief, 1637)
Height: 30”
Bronze Edition: 25

A Fine Arts gallery open early June through mid September.
Featuring a unique series of limited edition bronze sculptures entitled,
“The Woodland Tribes of the Northeast”, as well as paintings by
William Bracken, Jerry Rose, Barron Krody and Tom Curry.
79 Main Street, PO Box 753 Blue Hill, ME 04614 • 207.374.9917 • hartmann@midmaine.com

One of the most rewarding galleries
in the state, the Leighton has captivated
visitors for thirty years by featuring
strong and playful works on three ďŹ&#x201A;oors inside
and outside in a superb sculpture garden.

Argosy II 6 Mt. Desert St., Bar Harbor 04609
288-9226 • info@argosygallery.com
www.argosygallery.com Opened in 2006, this
elegant gallery is an extension of the original
Argosy Gallery. The spacious setting allows visitors
to enjoy exhibitions both solo and group, displayed
in their entirety.
Argosy Gallery Downstairs at 110 Main St.,
Bar Harbor 04609 • 288-9226
info@argosygallery.com www.argosygallery.com
Continuing 150 years of fine art on MDI, and dealing exclusively in original paintings. Emphasis on
coastal Maine by some of America’s most prominent traditional painters. Local as well as national
artists. Prices for all budgets from under $50 to
over $10,000. Daily mid-May thru October, and by
appointment year-round. “A hidden gem.”

“When my daughter was about seven years
old, she asked me one day what I did at work.
I told her I worked at the college–that my job
was to teach people how to draw. She stared
back at me, incredulous, and said, “You mean
they forget?”
— Howard Ikemoto

University of Maine Museum of Art in Bangor hosted “Summer Oasis - An Artful
Celebration at The Museum of Art” last August. The public was invited to attend a summer
celebration in the beautiful sculpture garden at Norumbega Hall to benefit the UMaine
Museum of Art’s Exhibition & Education Programs. Art-loving guests enjoyed wine,
delectable hors d’oeuvres, live jazz music, dancing, art station and tours and a silent
auction. The Museum is offering an exciting schedule of contemporary art for 2010 with
many educational programs and free admission for the year.

Palmina F. and Stephen S. Pace
Galleries of Art at Fryeburg Academy
18 Bradley Street
Fryeburg, Maine
Exhibitions throughout the year
Open 9-1 Monday through Friday
or by special appointment
(207) 935-9232
www.fryeburgacademy.org

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“Atmosphere of Three” Paintings by John Knight, Colin Barclay, and Richard Keen
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Painting of Angus
by Elizabeth Fraser
of Portland
www.paintsquared.com

Giving the Gift of Art
Last Christmas my wife gave me a painting she had commissioned of my dog
Angus. Angus was a big handsome Airedale Terrier that loved to ride in Saab
convertibles. I lost him two years ago and miss him terribly. The painting of him
standing on the back deck of the Saab allows him to always be with me and I
see him every day. I was overjoyed by the gift and will treasure it always. It is
also a testament of how thoughtful my wife is.
If you want to give a gift that shows thoughtfulness and love, a gift that is unique
and artistic, a gift that embodies intelligence and integrity while touching and
benefiting many, I suggest giving the gift of Maine art. Maine art and fine crafts
are the real thing. Maine is a mecca for fine visual arts with a national and
international reputation. Maine artists and fine craft artisans create products
that add beauty, joy and value to our homes and lives. Why not give their
creations as gifts from the heart?
Consider this: when you purchase art by a local artist, you are supporting that
artist, their family and the local community. Your purchase is making it
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possible for future art to be made. You also now have the opportunity to become
a collector of their work, a modest patron perhaps, a supporter of their career.
The more knowledge and involvement you have with a piece and its creator, the
more value it will hold.
Speaking of value, you’ll find there’s lots of it in giving the gift of art. First of all,
the gift of a personally selected piece of art demonstrates your value and high
regard for the recipient. Secondly, the recipient gets a gift that can proudly be
on display for years, a memento of the gift giving and the occasion. Most art and
fine crafts sold in Maine are in the $100 to $500 price range, often less and often
more. They come in an unending assortment and variety of paintings, sculptures
and fine crafts.
Paintings and photographs can give inspiration, wonder and maybe something
different every time you look at them. Fine crafts are often utilitarian (vases,
bowls, jewelry, clothing) while also being works of art that beautify and elevate
our living and work interiors.
Two places to find perfect Maine art
gifts are art galleries and artist studios.
Galleries offer a handpicked selection
of work, most often by local artists, that
have been carefully vetted and chosen
for their quality, beauty and integrity.
Artist studios are where the artist
creates and sells their own work. A visit
to a studio is a chance to meet the artist,
and if you purchase a work it puts you
on the ground floor of the “story” of the
piece. And the story also adds to the
value.

When you purchase
art by a local artist,
you are supporting
that artist, their family
and the local community.

There are a lot of excellent fine art and crafts shows and many wonderful Maine
art galleries and museums. Everywhere there are galleries there are artist
studios too, more numerous and usually less visible. Use Maine Gallery + Studio
Guide to locate the treasures nearby and to learn of interesting Openings and
Shows occurring around you.
If you give a gift of Maine art, you will be doing something good for the giver, the
recipient, and the artist and their family. Don’t forget birthdays, graduations and
special occasions in the future. Also, a gift of art to your spouse or child
becomes a gift to the whole household. I attended an opening last month in
which many ladies where wearing artist-made jewelry, scarves and clothing
that made them appear as artistic and elegant as the works on display. Fine
visual art can elevate and beautify our homes and offices. And apparently, even
ourselves.
Consider giving the gift of art. It will be a gift of conscience, helping a local
Maine artist and the local community. It will be a gift of lasting beauty and value.
It will be a gift that shows where your heart and priorities are. And it will be a gift
that will be cherished long after the wrappings are cleared away.

An “original print” is the image on paper or a similar material made by one or more processes,
which we will define below. Each process has a special identifiable quality, but because more
than one impression of each image is possible, “original” does not necessarily mean unique.
The artist’s intention to create an original is the key to the “originality” of the finished work. For
example, if an artist first conceives of a painting, then has the result copied and made into a
limited edition print, the result is not original but a reproduction. But if an artist conceives of
an image and directly transfers his thoughts by carving the image on a woodblock or on a
lithographic stone, then the result is an original print as it was intended to be. In the latter, the
artist has control over the process from beginning to end and is the producer of the image. In
the former situation, whereby a print was made from an original painting, the skill involved is
that of the printing company with little or no involvement by the artist except to sign the print
after it has been completed.

Nine types of prints

The total number of prints made from one image is known as an “edition.” The number may
appear on the print with the individual print number shown in relation to the total number
“planned” to be printed; i.e., 6/75 means that this is print number six from a total edition of
75. Either before or at the number 75, the means used to print the image (etching plate,
lithographic stone, woodblock) is destroyed or defaced so that no additional prints can be
made beyond what was planned.
There are numerous types of prints and methods to make them. Below are the nine most
common types of prints on the market, antique or otherwise. In all cases but one (limited edition),
the print is the direct creation of the artist and his skill and may take weeks or months to complete.

Woodblock

This type of print (black and white or color) is made by the artist cutting its design into various
types of wood facings. In working the block, the artist cuts away areas not meant to print.
These cut-away areas appear in the finished print as the white parts of the design while the
ink adheres to the raised parts. If the print is colored, it requires separately cut blocks for each
color and all must fit (register) together for the print to present a correct image.

Etching

A metal plate is coated by an acid-resistant material. The artist then draws his design on the
ground with a sharp needle, which removes the ground where the needle touches it. The metal
plate is then put into an acid bath, which eats away at the areas scratched off by the artist.
This produces a sunken line or groove in the metal plate, which will hold the ink when the print
is to be printed on paper. All surface ink is wiped away and the printed image is transferred to
dampened paper under pressure on a printing press.

Drypoint

The sunken lines or grooves are produced by the artist with diamond-hard tools pulled across
the metal plate. The depth of the sunken line is controlled by the artist’s muscle and experience.
This method of cutting produces a ridge along the incisions called a burr, giving the print a soft,
velvety appearance that is absent in the clean-edged lines of an engraving or etching.
142

Aquatint

A process using a copper plate that is protected by a semi-acid resistant material. The areas
not to be printed are painted with an acid-resistant varnish. The plate is then repeatedly put
in acid baths where the unprotected areas are “etched” to different depths. The final effect
is an image on a fine pebbled background. Aquatint is normally used in conjunction with
etchings and drypoints and is also a process by which color is added to the print.

Lithograph

The artist draws the image directly on a flat stone or specially prepared metal plate, usually
with a greasy crayon. The stone is dampened with water and then inked. The ink clings to the
crayon marks, but not to the damp areas. When paper is pressed against the stone, the ink
on the greasy parts is transferred to the paper.

Chromolithography

A process primarily used during the 19th and early 20th centuries, it was the “new-found”
art of printing pictures from stone in colors. In a broad sense, a chromo is a lithograph
composed of at least three colors, each applied to the print from a separate stone. Many
of these prints took months to complete but were useful in that they allowed hundreds of
images to be printed. Old circus posters are chromoliths.

Serigraph or screenprint

The artist prepares a tightly stretched screen, usually of silk, and blocks out areas not to be
printed by filling up the mesh of the screen with a varnish-like substance. The paper is then
placed under the screen and the ink is forced through the still-open mesh onto the paper.

Limited edition print

This is not considered an original since it is normally a print of an existing art work such as an oil
painting or watercolor. Initially the artwork is photographed, the image projected onto a printing
surface and printed in quantities of 500 or more. The skill involved here is that of the printing
company and its ability to re-create the colors in the original. After printing, the artist signs each
piece and usually numbers them. I do not consider these fine art prints as are the other types of
prints discussed in this article. These prints fall into the “decorative prints” category.

Some common concerns

A signature on the print is a form of guarantee that the signer has inspected and approved
the content of the particular print. Original signed prints will normally be signed in pencil
outside of the image on the lower left or right margins of the print. The earliest prints were not
signed. Until the latter half of the 19th century, prints were only rarely hand-signed in pencil
by the artist. Sometimes an artist would sign a print by hand when giving it or selling it to a
friend or colleague. Hand-signing a print, implying the artist’s approval of the impression,
became a custom during the second half of the 19th century. At that time it was practiced
by some artists some of the time, by others most of the time and by others not at all. Felix
Buhot, Seymour Hayden and James Whistler were among the first generation of artists to
hand-sign or monogram prints. The custom has grown more popular and today collectors
prefer to buy signed impressions rather that unsigned ones. The term “IMP” handwritten on a
print is an abbreviation of the Latin word “Impressit” meaning “he has printed it.”
Numbering is a practice that also started in the latter part of the 19th century. The artists
would number the editions of their prints; i.e., #1, #2, etc. Additionally, and into the 20th
century, the custom of indicating the number of the print and the total to be printed became
commonplace. Normally, fine art prints are produced in editions of 250 or less.
by Wayne Keilsmeier,
courtesy of Covington Fine Arts, Tucson, Arizona
143